


Ice

by cyndercrys



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Angst, Drama, F/M, Family, Fluff, One Shot Collection, Romance, Slow Build, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, but still good, honestly my most popular, please enjoy, this is an older collection, will update tags as needed
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-05-04
Packaged: 2019-04-30 04:55:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14489268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cyndercrys/pseuds/cyndercrys
Summary: Ice was his life. Everything about her reminded him of his favorite thing. Her delicately braided platinum hair, her crystalline blue eyes, her pale, pale white skin... He shivered to think of her. Elsa was, indeed, the true queen of the ice and snow.





	1. Ice

**Author's Note:**

> Original post date: December 15, 2013.
> 
> Original Note: "There is a serious lack of Kristelsa stories in this fandom. ...I don't like that. So I write my own!"

Ice was his life. Kristoff teared up each time he witnessed Elsa's magic or saw her magnificent sculptures. He couldn't help it; she did beautiful work. He'd never seen ice so pure or crystal-clear before.

He found himself thinking of her when he worked. At first, he simply wondered how she would fare in the ice business. Then, he began wishing she were beside him, helping. He would shake those thoughts from his head. He had Sven. He didn't need any other company.

And yet, each time he met with Queen Elsa, and each time he would go back to his ice, the feeling returned a thousand fold.

Everything about her reminded him of his favorite thing. Her delicately braided platinum hair, her crystalline blue eyes, her pale, pale white skin... He shivered to think of her. Elsa was, indeed, the true queen of the ice and snow. Even when he first met her he noted how cold and distant she seemed. Though time had melted her frosty personality toward him, he knew how she could be.

Even now, thoughts of her swirled through his mind as he pulled up to Arendelle, his sled piled high with ice. The moon shone over the quaint town and the surrounding fjord. He considered his options. If he went on to the castle, he knew Anna would welcome him with open arms and gladly give him lodging. Elsa would stand behind her, a small smile gracing her lips, her torso slightly turned so that her right shoulder faced him. She always looked so warm, so...

He shook his head again. The castle was obviously out of the question. He slapped the reins against the reindeer. "Let's camp tonight, buddy."

Sven grunted and continued pulling the sled forward.

Kristoff allowed his thoughts to flow again. They wandered back to Elsa, visions of her dancing through his head. He appreciated how quiet and reserved she was. For a moment he imagined them together. It would be silent, but a comfortable sort of silent.

As the sled pulled up by the edge of the fjord, he turned his gaze toward it. In the moonlight he could barely make out a figure on the water. No, not water; ice. Parts of the fjord had frozen. He rubbed his eyes. The person didn't disappear.

He pulled back on the reins to stop Sven. "You stay here. I'll be right back." He leapt down from the sled and walked to the water's edge. Tentatively, he stepped down on it.

The ice didn't make a sound as he put all his weight on it. He looked up at the figure. He knew of only one person who could make ice this thick. "Elsa..." He breathed. He took off in a run toward her.

As he got closer he could see she was skating, gliding along the ice as if it were second nature. He skidded to a halt away from her. She didn't seem to notice him. He watched her in admiration, almost drinking in her graceful form.

The queen then leapt into the air, twirling, and came down to the ice as if she never broke stride. He realized she let her hair down, completely and totally down so that it cascaded around her shoulders and down her back. She shimmered beneath the moon. He couldn't take it anymore.

Kristoff cleared his throat.

She stopped immediately and whirled around, her hands raised before her. "Who goes there?!" She slunk around him. With a relieved gasp she relaxed. "Oh, Kristoff..."

"I didn't mean to startle you." He smiled slightly, awkwardly, and rubbed the back of his neck. "I was just...watching."

"Watching?" She tilted her head, a soft chuckle working its way up her throat. "I can't imagine how boring that was."

Kristoff bit his tongue to avoid denying it, to say that he had been enjoying watching her far too much. That she needed to continue. Instead, he asked, "So, what are you doing all the way out here, Your Majesty? Especially this late at night."

"I could ask you the same." She sighed. "Today was... Today was a bit stressful. I had to relax somehow. I couldn't sleep." She gestured to the ice. "The hard part will be melting all this."

"But you can do that. Melt things, I mean."

"Well, yes."

An uncomfortable silence settled between them. Elsa suddenly slid forward until they nearly touched and held out her hand. "Would you like to try?" She gazed up at him.

In the moonlight he could see ice crystals woven throughout her hair. He took her hand with a nod. "S-sure."

A puff of smoke floated into the air as she exhaled a breath she didn't realize she held. "Excellent."

Kristoff allowed her to lead him across the ice, first by one hand and then by two. He soon realized they weren't really skating at all; rather, they were simply gliding around. He didn't mind. Her hands felt strangely warm and very delicate in his own, and he had no intentions of letting go.

Elsa laughed as they went, a true, genuine smile gracing her lips. He gazed at her lithe form, expertly zigzagging around the frozen fjord. She was pulling him with her, forcing her to go backward. Backward! He knew it shouldn't have astounded him so, though perhaps it was because she was queen.

The ice man gasped as he realized they neared the edge of ice. She couldn't see it, as she had just turned her head to him. He pulled her closer and dug his heels into the ice. Fortunately he managed to stop them before they went tumbling into the water. Kristoff shuddered slightly. The fjord would not be comfortable this time of year.

"K-Kristoff?"

He gazed down at the young woman in his arms. She pressed against him, trembling ever so slightly. Her hands were on his chest and he could barely see the beginning of frost surrounding her fingertips. "Are you all right?"

She nodded. Then, she looked up at him. He felt a twinge of pain and guilt stab at his heart to see her normally strong eyes watery with tears. "I'm sorry. I should've been watching where I was going." She smiled slightly. "Thank you, for... For saving me—us. Saving us."

He tightened his grip on just the tiniest bit. "You're welcome." He smiled as he realized her cheeks had grown darker. A blush, perhaps? "Thank you for sharing your night with me." He leaned down, brushing his lips against her cheek. Definitely a blush.

Elsa stiffened and looked up at him as he straightened. She seemed confused. He chuckled, warmly, and pressed another soft kiss to her lips. As he pulled away, he smiled. "Ice is my life."

She cast her eyes downward with a curt nod. In the shadow across her face, he hoped he saw the beginnings of a smile. "Mine too."


	2. Elsa The Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original note: "So this was partially inspired by a Tumblr post I saw about Elsa being a cat person. (If you'd like to follow me on Tumblr my username is cyndercrys) Also, it was brought on by the still-severe lack of Kristelsa. Fandom, I am disappoint.  
> Disclaimer: I own nothing."

Sven grunted, tossing his head. Tinpan, the black horse next to him, neighed happily. Both animals stood off to the side as their owners laid on the grassy hill nearby.

Kristoff sighed and put one hand behind his head. "That cloud looks like snow."

"They all look like snow." The queen of Arendelle looked up at him. "Clouds are full of snow."

"Are you a cloud, Elsa?" He turned on his side toward her.

She couldn't help but smile. "No, I'm not a cloud."

He frowned, playfully, and reached out to gently cradle her cheek. "Darn."

"You were expecting me to be a fluffy cloud?"

"A man can hope."

At that she sat up and curled her legs beneath her, the blue spring dress covering her ivory skin. "Come now, Kristoff."

The mountain man looked up at her. "You're right. You don't have the right personality." He closed his eyes with a smirk.

"And what do you mean by that?" She scooted nearer to him, leaning down so she hovered above his face.

"Well, I always figured clouds would be warm and soft, like a kitten."

"A kitten...?" She ran a delicate fingertip down her cheek to his neck and chest.

He nodded. "Exactly like a kitten. Clouds are nothing but floating groups of kittens, the opposite of you."

Kristoff's chocolate eyes snapped open as he felt her nuzzle against him. A strange growling noise emanated from her throat. "Elsa, what are you doing?"

"Mew!" She wrapped her arm around him and lay down, nuzzling her head against him.

"Are you acting like a cat now?"

Elsa growled again.

"Are... Are you purring?"

Finally she sighed. "I don't make a very good kitten, do I?"

Kristoff laughed and pulled her into a somewhat awkward embrace. "You're better at being a queen. More importantly..." He reached up to slide back her black headband, allowing her platinum bangs to fall over her forehead. "You're my queen."

She smiled slightly. "And don't you ever forget it."

Tinpan interrupted them with a scared whinny. Elsa shot up, scrambling to her feet to calm her horse. "Tinpan! Tinpan, whoa!" She gripped the reins and stroked his nose softly. He eventually stopped stomping the ground. "That's better."

Kristoff looked behind them to see a frightened Olaf peering around a bush. "It's okay now, Olaf."

The snowman scurried to Elsa's side, wrapping his stick arms around her legs in a hug. "I'm sorry!" He cried.

"Olaf, it's fine. It was just an accident." She patted his head. "Tinpan was just startled."

"Tinpan...?"

She gestured to the animal. "My horse. He's the reason we don't let Anna name anything anymore."

Olaf waved at him. "Hi Tinpan! I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

Though he felt a bit miffed at the snowman for ruining his moment with the queen, Kristoff found himself smiling. He cleared his throat. "So, do you need anything?"

"Oh! Anna wanted me to come find you." He grinned up at them.

Elsa nodded with a sigh. "I should probably go back to the castle... I do have some paperwork to finish." She looked up at Kristoff. "I apologize..."

"Don't worry about it." He helped her mount her horse. "Hey Olaf, why don't you let Anna know we're heading back?"

The snowman nodded vigorously. "Yeah! I'll see you two later!" He jogged off toward Arendelle.

Elsa giggled as she watched him go. "I've never regretted making him." She turned to Kristoff as he hopped on Sven.

"Never?"

"Well... No. Never." She smiled and turned her horse. "We really should be going though."

He simply ordered the reindeer to follow her. It wasn't often that he got the chance to spend personal time with the queen, and he felt somewhat sick that it was cut short. He half-hoped she would have nuzzled him a bit more, purred a bit more, pretended to be a cat for just a little longer...

Kristoff shook his head. He should count himself lucky that Elsa even did that in the first place. Often when they were alone, she simply leaned against him and fed off his warmth. Once or twice she'd even nodded off on his shoulder, too exhausted to speak. He let her; mostly he appreciated the fact that the servants wouldn't question why he carried her to her room. He would cover her with a blanket and press a quick, soft kiss to her forehead. Usually by then she would wake up enough to ask him what happened and just go back to sleep.

Gazing at her, sitting atop her steed, he saw instead the strong young woman she portrayed to all of Arendelle. He didn't mind either picture of her. Strong or weak, awake or asleep, he found her just as enrapturing. "Elsa," He said, gaining her attention. "Elsa..."

She turned to face him, her crystal eyes shining. "Yes?" Her lips were curled, ever so slightly, in a smile.

He felt his cheeks burn. "Would you do that again sometime?"

"Do what?" Her head tilted slightly.

"Be... Be a cat..." He ducked his head in embarrassment. His voice lowered so much that he was sure she didn't hear him.

Instead, he heard her clear her throat awkwardly, a pink hue staining her face. "I-I suppose I could." She clenched her jaw. "Why?"

He lifted his chin only slightly. "I thought it was cute." He winced.

"Oh."

He looked up to see a full blush raging scarlet across her cheeks. She nodded. "Then yes. I can do that again, if you want me to."

"Th-thanks." Kristoff felt inexplicably gleeful then. He spurred Sven on, forcing him to run. "I'll race you!"

She gasped and pushed Tinpan into a gallop. "You're going to lose!" She laughed as she sped past him.

The mountain man grinned, watching Elsa in the sunlight. He had a feeling he wouldn't mind losing so much, if it made her happy.


	3. Sleep

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original note: "So apparently this one-shot is turning into a collection of one-shots. I am okay with this.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing"

Kristoff fought the urge to wrap his arm around the queen where she leaned against him. A small yawn slipped from her lips. "That was fun..."

"I'm glad you liked it. I know they did." He smiled down at the queen.

Since he and Elsa began officially courting, he decided that his parents, his family, needed to know. She managed to clear her schedule for the day so they could visit the Valley of the Living Rock. What was supposed to be a short meet-and-greet turned into a day-long party. As he entertained the children, she was bombarded with questions of all sorts.

She weaved her arm around his to hook their elbows. "I did. Your mother is wonderful."

"Yeah, she's a good mom."

Elsa sighed heavily. "I'm so tired..." She rested her head against his shoulder.

"Try to get some sleep, okay?" He flicked the reins to order Sven to go a little faster.

"'Kay..."

Not for the first time was he thankful for the blanket of snow on the ground. Without it, the sled would travel nearly as smoothly, and the last thing he wanted was for Elsa to wake. He couldn't help but smile when he heard a very soft, very petite little snore. Obviously she'd fallen asleep.

As much as he wanted to stay like this, he knew she needed rest. In order for that to happen, she needed to be at the castle, in her own bed. He contemplated, if only for a moment, taking her to his cabin; then he shook his head and pressed on. Taking her to his home would only look bad and be very hard to explain.

He noticed the snoring stopped and she stirred, reaching up to rub her neck. "Hm?" She looked around. "Oh... I must have dozed off..."

"Only for a few minutes." He looked at her, noticing the weary expression on her face. "What have you been doing lately?"

"Well, yesterday I was finishing up some paperwork from a meeting I had earlier this week. Don't forget I live with Anna. Just watching her is enough to make someone tired." She giggled softly. "I wish I had that kind of energy."

He nodded. "That'd be nice."

Elsa stifled a yawn behind her hand. "Though I had a bit of a cold last week, so perhaps I'm still recovering."

"You did?" He felt guilty. Of course he's gone on an ice trip and she comes down with an illness.

"All right, as Anna put it I had a 'warm'. I stayed outside all day and I got a bit overheated."

At this he scrunched his eyebrows together. "Elsa, it's winter."

"You know I don't like to wear heavy clothing..." She took a deep breath. "I was wearing one of my summer dresses and Anna decided she wanted to play in the snow. I helped her out a bit with my magic, but I overdid it just a touch. The whole next day I couldn't even leave my room."

Kristoff nudged her gently. "I'm sorry."

"It's all right. The sun and I just don't have a very good relationship." She settled against him. "So now I've been tired all the time."

"Well, I've almost got you back to the castle, so you can go to bed as soon as we arrive."

"You make me sound like a child." Her words were slightly slurred where she was falling asleep again. "I prefer 'retire to my chambers'."

He chuckled. "Whatever you want."

Both parties were silent, the only sound coming from Sven's hooves. Kristoff winced as the crunch of snow turned into the clop of cobblestone. Surely now Elsa would be wide awake.

She groaned something about loud noises and turned into his shoulder.

Never before had he been so thankful to pull into the courtyard of the castle. A stable hand approached them. "Sir?" He stood at attention.

"Just take care of Sven. I'll come get him once I escort Her Majesty inside." Kristoff hopped down from the sled and reached up a hand for Elsa. "My queen?"

She weakly grasped it and half stepped, half fell to the ground. Fortunately he caught her. "Are you okay?" He held her close to him.

"Y-yes. I'm fine." She looked up blearily.

His eyes flashed and before she could really react he gathered her in his arms. "Feed Sven some carrots," He called to the boy over his shoulder.

Elsa gripped his coat in her small hand. "What are you doing?"

"I'm carrying you inside. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"But..." Her voice trailed into a yawn.

"When you're too tired to get out of my sled, there's no way I'm letting you walk to your room." He nodded his thanks to the guards who opened the main doors for them.

Upon realizing her defeat, Elsa snuggled against his warm body. She could faintly hear his heartbeat with her ear pressed against his chest. Even through his coat she could feel him breathing. It felt comforting to her, being in his strong arms. For once she felt completely and totally safe.

He smirked as she started snoring again. It wasn't a loud, obnoxious noise; rather it was small and rather quiet. For some reason he thought it cute. He shook his head—honestly, a snore, cute?—but stopped as she stirred. Who cared anymore?

When they reached her door he fumbled to grasp the doorknob and push it open for a moment before it swung. He pushed it closed with his foot. Moonlight illuminated her room through two windows, one casting a ray on the bed and another toward the doorway. He was grateful for the help this evening.

Having performed the same gesture before, he expertly flicked back the blanket and sheets on her bed before he laid her down. He gently pried off her boots and coat, laying them near the chest at the foot of her bed. As he pulled up the covers over her, he pressed a kiss to her forehead and mumbled something to the effect of "Good night, Elsa".

Just when Kristoff turned to leave, he felt a small tug on his sleeve. "Kris..."

"Yeah?" He whirled to see her looking up at him.

"It's late."

"I know. You should go to sleep."

"You... Stay. With me."

For a moment he couldn't tell if she were really telling him to stay or if she were talking in a dream. "Elsa?"

"Please. Don't leave me, Kristoff..."

He could not ignore the pleading tone in her voice. He shucked off his own coat and boots and crawled into the bed next to her. Immediately she shoved herself into his arms. "You're so warm," She whispered.

He held her close and buried his nose in her snowy hair, smelling some of her perfume still lingering. "So are you."

"Good night..."

"Good night, Elsa."

She fell asleep long before he did. Kristoff wanted to enjoy being close to her for as long as he could, in reality and not just his dreams.


	4. Does Anna Know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original note: "This one isn't quite as fluffy as the others and to be completely honest it's a little on the odd side. Please, enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing."

"Does Anna know?"

Elsa stilled her hand, the flurries of snow ceasing immediately. "What do you mean?"

"Does Anna know about us?" Kristoff gazed down at her. "We need to tell her eventually."

The queen stopped walking. She knew that sooner or later they would have to tell the princess, but she was never sure how. Each time she finally managed to sit Anna down and even started to mention his name, the girl began rambling about their misadventures together. And that was fine; Kristoff was good friends with both sisters, though he held a particular preference to Elsa.

"No, she doesn't know." Elsa cast her gaze down. She focused her attention on some grass that peaked through the cobblestone path of the gardens.

"We can't keep this a secret, Elsa. It's better if we tell her than if she finds out for herself." He lifted her chin with a finger. "Right?"

She sighed. "It would break her heart... She adores you, Kristoff. I'm not sure how she'd react to the two of us being...together."

"Well I don't intend on leaving you anytime soon, and I don't like just being friends."

"I don't want you to leave." She reached up to place her cold hand on his cheek. "Nor do I just want to be friends."

"Then we have to tell her."

"Kristoff..."

He shook his head. "We're telling her, Elsa. Today."

"Very well. But you're helping me." She stood up on her toes to reach his lips and kissed him gently, shyly.

He chuckled. "Come on, do it right."

"I don't..."

"Come on, Elsa." He reached for her ribs, wiggling his fingers. "Elsa!"

She gasped. "What are you— Kristoff!" She shrieked, squirming away from him as he began tickling her. "Kristoff stop it!"

"Not until you do it right."

"K-Kristoff...!" She snorted through her nose, a very unladylike noise that sent him into laughter.

Once he released her, she jumped at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He held her close. "I'll do it right." She smiled, breathless.

"I don't know, I enjoyed that." He touched his forehead to hers.

Before he could say anymore she silenced him with a kiss. It was longer than the first, just to his liking. Since the queen didn't have much experience with romance, he took it upon himself to teach her. Mostly he enjoyed the "right" ways of hugging and whatnot he taught her, even though sometimes it took a bit of coaxing.

"E-Elsa?"

The two parted and looked to the owner of the voice. He dropped her as he felt his stomach bottom out. Elsa swallowed hard. "Anna, it's... It's not what it looks like."

"What?" He nudged the queen.

"Let me handle this!" She hissed.

Anna took a step back. "Then what is it?" Tears were pooling in her eyes.

"It... All right, so it's exactly what it looked like. We were planning on telling you later today, Anna. Honestly we were." Elsa bit back a grimace at herself. She felt like a child.

The princess began to tremble. "How long has this been going on?" She whispered.

"A few months." Kristoff placed a hand on Elsa's shoulder.

Elsa smiled weakly. "Surprise?"

Anna simply turned and sprinted away from them. Elsa made the motion to follow her. "Anna!"

"Elsa, just let her go." Kristoff gripped her arm. "Just...let her go."

Elsa whirled to face him. "I told you to stop and you didn't! Now do you understand why I say these things?!"

"This isn't my fault." He glared at her.

"If you had done what I told you to, Anna wouldn't have walked in on us like that. Why don't you just do as you're told?" She crossed her arms to keep from shooting ice by mistake.

Kristoff frowned deeply and turned away. "Sorry, Your Majesty. I thought I was someone special in your life, but I guess I'm just another peasant you can order around."

"Kristoff, I didn't mean—"

"Forget it, Elsa. Come talk to me when you figure this stuff out."

She watched him walk away, leaving her utterly alone. Her shoulders fell and she looked up at the grey sky. Soon, one of the first snowfalls of the season would begin. She shuffled over to a stone bench and sat. Her icy tears fell into her lap, but she didn't pay them any attention.

* * *

By dinner the snow was coming down hard, turning the whole world white. Elsa couldn't even raise her head to gaze out the window during the meal. She would have to look past her sister, and that was something she could not face.

After a long silence, Anna finally cleared her throat. "I'm... I'm happy for you two."

"What?" Elsa looked up, her voice raspy from disuse.

"You and Kristoff. I'm happy for you guys." The strawberry-blonde smiled slightly. "I just... I sorta had a thing for him... I didn't really expect to find you guys kissing in the gardens. I didn't really expect to find you two kissing, period." She chuckled before sighing. "But... I'm okay with it. I think you two are cute together. Besides, you both like ice, right? That's something."

The queen stared at her in disbelief. "Anna..."

"But if he ever hurts you I'm killing him." She waggled her fork at her sister. "The minute he makes you cry I'm going to punch him so hard that his—"

"Anna! Anna, that's enough." Elsa smiled at her sister, feeling warmth bubble through her body. "Thank you."

"It's not like I can stop it anyway. Better accept it than hate it." Anna went back to eating.

"Kristoff will be so pleased to hear." The queen gasped. "Kristoff... Kristoff completely hates me right now!"

Anna rolled her eyes. "I'm sure he doesn't hate you."

"I ordered him around. Impolitely. Like a servant."

"Oh." She swallowed hard. "Yeah, he might hate you."

"Not helping." Elsa stood up. "I have to go tell him before it's too late." She began leaving the dining hall.

"Wait, Elsa!" Anna scurried after her. "Elsa, it's snowing outside and it just keeps getting worse. Pretty soon it's going to turn into a bonafide blizzard. You can't go out there!"

The queen of Arendelle stopped and turned her head only slightly. "Watch me." She took off in a run for the main doors.

Anna knew even on a good day she couldn't catch up to her sister. "Elsa!" She called, uselessly, before turning away. "Be careful..."

* * *

Elsa could hardly make out the fire that roared before her in her blurred vision. She heard the rustle of cloth and a soft, feminine moan. Blinking rapidly, she realized it came from herself.

"Elsa? Can you hear me?"

She wanted to say yes, yes I can hear you. Instead she made a sort of squeaking croak. As her vision cleared, she saw Kristoff gazing down at her. "K... Kris...toff..."

"Oh thank god." He sighed in relief. "I thought you were..." His voice trailed.

The queen shook her head. "I'm here."

"What were you thinking, Elsa?" His tone turned serious, angry almost. "You almost died out there! I understand that you can control ice and everything but walking out in the middle of a blizzard?! That's insane! Not to mention the wolves! If I hadn't gotten there when I did, you really would be dead. Then what would we do? What would I do, Elsa?! Did you think about that?!"

Elsa felt tears collecting in her eyes. The blizzard started soon after she set off for his cabin. Due to the already heavy snowfall, taking a horse was out of the question, forcing her to travel on foot. Though when she found herself in the middle of a storm she could not control—as nature was outside the power of her magic—she knew she had made a very grave mistake.

As much as she felt the urge to shout at him in return, she couldn't. He was worried and she felt too guilty. Instead she whimpered, "I'm sorry, Kristoff..."

He reached out to gently stroke her cheek with his thumb. "I don't want to lose you."

"You won't. I promise."

"I know." Kristoff sighed. "I just... You worried me. I don't want to see you get hurt."

She leaned into his touch. "How long have I been here?"

"An hour. Maybe two. I haven't really been paying attention. I'm just glad you're awake."

They settled into silence, during which she heard the wind howling outside his small cabin. She shifted her weight where she lay on a sofa before the fireplace. "I'm...not going home tonight, am I?"

He shook his head. "Not in this weather. Besides, you need to rest, Elsa."

"I'm f-fine." She started to get up, pain prickling at her sore body.

"Just lie down!" He pressed a hand against her slim shoulder and pinned her down. "I know you don't like me treating you like a queen, but just this once let me take care of you." He removed his hand. "Please."

She nodded weakly. "All right..."

"Why were you even out there in the first place?" He tucked the blanket closer around her body.

"Anna said she happy for us. She's not angry." Elsa winced as she tried to move again. "And... To say I'm sorry."

He scrunched his eyebrows together. "For what?"

"For earlier today. In the gardens."

To her surprise, he laughed. "Elsa, that's what you risked your life for?" He brushed some stray hair from her face. "You can really be a fool sometimes."

"So you don't hate me?" She squeaked.

He shook his head. "Of course not. How could I possibly hate you?"

The queen simply smiled up at him. He got to his feet to stoke the fire. "You should try to get some rest."

He glanced back at her to see a mixed expression on her face. "I'll be right here if you need me. I'm not going anywhere."

Elsa sighed softly and allowed herself to relax. Outside the storm howled around the small cabin, but inside was warm and comfortable. With those thoughts in her mind, she went gratefully into the bliss of sleep.


	5. The Best Medicine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Original note: "So this was actually inspired/requested by someone. Yes, I will do requests/prompts to the best of my ability. My only rule is that I don't do anything pertaining to pregnancy. Ever. At all. No exceptions. That being said, feel free to PM me or leave a review otherwise.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing."

" _Ugh_."

Elsa allowed the pen to drop to her desk as she reached up both hands to her head. With another groan she squeezed her eyes shut. It wasn't anything new for her to develop headaches while working, but that didn't make it any better. For now she was more concerned with the throbbing in her skull.

She heard two knocks on the door of her study. "Come in!" She called, wincing at the volume of her own voice.

To her surprise Kristoff poked his head in the door, followed by the rest of his body. "Hey. I heard you were working and I thought you might want a break."

She smiled sadly. "Thank you for the gesture, but unfortunately queens do not take breaks." She rubbed her temple. "Even if we desperately want to..."

"Headache?" He stood in front of her desk.

"You don't know the half of it." A heavy sigh slipped through her lips.

Kristoff walked around to place either hand on the arms of her chair. She simply watched with an amused smirk. "And what do you think you're doing?"

"I'm wondering if queens are allowed to be ticklish." His eyes flickered over her thin body.

For once she was thankful for the heavy dress she wore. If he did make the attempt to tickle her, she wouldn't feel it as much...she hoped. She swallowed hard. "Ah, no. No we are not."

"Oh really?" A slow smile crept across his features.

"Yes really!" She tried to sound brave, but her exclamation came out more like a squeak. She sunk down in her chair, trying to get away from him.

Before she could react, his hand was at her neck. "Let's just see about that." His fingers trailed against her pale skin.

She giggled in spite of herself. "S-stop that!" She swatted him away.

"So the queen _is_ ticklish!"

"No I'm not!" Elsa tried to make a run for it.

He simply caught her small frame and held her against him. "Yes you are!" He went for her ribs next.

Soon the small study was filled with both Elsa's and Kristoff's laughter. The queen kept trying to evade him, but to no avail. He was simply too large and too strong for her to escape. He simply had one arm around her as the other was busy tickling her.

Elsa really didn't want to resort to her magic, but she was beginning to grow uncomfortable. At first the tickling was cute, she had to admit, but now her sides were starting to ache from laughing so much. "Kristoff, enough!" She gasped.

"What was that?" He smiled down at her, unrelenting.

"E-enough!" A few tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

He simply laughed.

"I said that's enough!" She pressed both hands against his chest and willed frost to gather at her palms.

Kristoff yelped in surprise and jumped back. "Hey, that's cold!" He wiped off the ice.

"I said that was enough, Kristoff." Elsa clutched her side as she tried to catch her breath. "That was starting to hurt."

He frowned and averted his gaze. "I'm sorry... The trolls usually last a long time, so I guess I got carried away..."

"It's all right. Just... Stop when I say to next time, please?" She took a deep breath and straightened, smoothing out her dress.

The ice harvester grinned and cleared his throat for her attention. "Does your head hurt anymore?"

"My head...?" She blinked a few times. "No, it doesn't. You got rid of my headache?"

He pulled her into a soft hug. "They say that laughter is the best medicine." Slowly he reached a hand around to the back of her exposed neck.

"Don't even think about it." Her voice, though muffled in his chest, still carried a fair amount of warning.

"Right, sorry. Tickle time is over." He released her. "So, do you have time to take a break now?"

Elsa turned her gaze to the never-ending pile of papers and royal documents. Smirking, she nodded. "Yes please."

"Great!" He grabbed her small hand. "I know this great place to go for lunch. You'll love it. They have amazing sandwiches and the _best_ soup you've ever tasted."

As she allowed him to pull her away from work, she giggled. "I'm sure I'll love it, Kristoff..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Buy Me a Coffee?](https://ko-fi.com/R5R6BK2V)

**Author's Note:**

> [Buy Me a Coffee?](https://ko-fi.com/R5R6BK2V)


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